In this class, we go beyond the headlines to discuss the history and cultures of peoples who have had to endure terrible suffering, particularly through ethnic conflict and civil war. We will focus on a curious phenomenon: populations typically defined as separate from one another (e.g., Israelis and Palestinians) often have a history of shared or related cultural practices, of which music is a prime example. We will survey a number of current and recent conflict zones and use music as a way to deepen our understanding of the identities and relationships between the peoples involved--including through a consideration of my own fieldwork in Sri Lanka. Querying the very definitions of "music," "trouble," and "place" course then broadens out to consider how musicians have been affected by and/or responded to important global problems like slavery, sexual violence, climate change and other ecological disasters, like Hurricane Katrina. Regions to be considered in our lectures and/or readings include: Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria (including Kurdish musics), Israel-Palestine, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Myanmar/Burma, Uganda, Sierra Leone, North and South Korea, the Marshall Islands, Cambodia, Mexico, and the United States.

Methods of Assessment

Cross Cultural Analysis

How does the course examine the social values, institutions, and patterns of organization of a culture from within its own perspective?

From the syllabus: "In this class, we go beyond the headlines to discuss the history and cultures of peoples who have had to endure terrible suffering, particularly through ethnic conflict and civil war. We will focus on a curious phenomenon: populations typically defined as separate from one another (think: Israelis and Palestinians) often have a history of shared or related cultural practices, of which music is a prime example. We will survey a number of current and recent conflict zones and use music as a way to deepen our understanding of the identities and relationships between the peoples involved—including through a consideration of my own fieldwork in Sri Lanka. Querying the very definitions of “music,” “trouble,” and “place,” the course also broadens out to consider how musicians have been affected by and/or have responded to important global problems like slavery, sexual violence, and ecological disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina. Regions to be considered in our lectures and/or readings include: Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria (including Kurdish musics), Israel-Palestine, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Myanmar/Burma, Uganda, Sierra Leone, North and South Korea, the Marshall Islands, Cambodia, Mexico, and the United States. While covering political and social ills, the course nevertheless provides students with perspectives on everyday life and traditional culture in places (like Afghanistan and Myanmar) that are rarely considered in the U.S. mainstream media."

In each session of the course, we not only focus on political problems, we focus on human and communal perspectives through examining the musics of a particular culture.

How does the course consider the relationships AMONG the following aspects of the culture(s) in question: art, religion, literature, philosophy, social behavior and institutions, and responses to other cultures?

This is a music course, but we also discuss issues pertaining to religion (i.e. Islam and Hinduism) and the ways that institutions and transnational actors have interacted with and affected musicians in 'troubling' situations (such as in warzones). We discuss longstanding musical genres that bring together all these categories - for example, the genre called "Iraqi maqam".

If the course focuses on a particular element in a culture, can you explain how it relates that element to other more general aspects?

We do not just focus on musical structures in this class - we focus on music history and on the plight of musicians in conflict situations. The second half of the course switches focus from war to how musicians are affected by and engaging important global issues, such as climate change. So musicians are the focus, set within broader sociopolitical contexts.

How does the course teach students the methods required for sensitive and critical cultural analysis, such as the informed reading of texts, artifacts, and social institutions?

We will read work in music and sound studies, anthropology, and history that help students think about important global issues from personal and social perspectives, especially those affected negatively by such problems.

Cultural Diversity in the US

The course should examine one or more of the following forms of differentiation: race/ethnicity, immigrant status, social class, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation. Which does it emphasize?

The course may emphasize a comparative perspective within a particular classification scheme (for example, African Americans and Hispanics). If so, please describe:

The course may examine the intersection between two or more of these means of differentiation (for example, race and immigrant status, minority status and sexual orientation). If so, please describe:

The course should address issues of inequality, stratification, and power. Please explain how it does so.

What is the primary method of analysis for the course? (For example, analysis of social scientific data, critical reading of literature, and so forth.)

Quantitative Data Analysis

Prerequisites

None

Who is the course intended for?

Sample assignments or exam questions.

Do students actively analyze and interpret quantitative data? Explain.

Do students interpret quantitative data to evaluate hypotheses and/or to understand phenomena in the real world? Explain.

What types of quantitative analyses are included in the course? For example, do students learn concepts of random variability and elementary level of statistical analysis of data?

Formal Reasoning

Do students learn formal structures of thought and how to apply them to understand phenomena in the real world? Explain.

If the course also engages students in the statistical analysis of empirical data, is the preponderance of attention give to formal structures implicated in deductive reasoning rather than on inductive reasoning from data to empirical generalizations? Explain.

Types of Analysis: What types of formal analysis are included in the course? For example, do students learn concepts of mathematics, formal logic, formal linguistics, computation and algorithmic thinking, decision theory, or some combination of these?